bystanders

plural of bystander
as in spectators
someone who sees or watches something bystanders rushed to help the victim of the mugging

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bystanders There was no way for the bystanders to retrieve the wounded man without exposing themselves to the sniper. — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Inside the store, bystanders and officers tried to help a wounded man until emergency responders arrived. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026 With the help of bystanders, the deputies got Von Herbulis up the nearby stairs from the water to the dock. — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 Video clips from bystanders shortly after the shooting Thursday show Belgal on the pavement with his hands cuffed and ICE officers nearby. — Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026 Some takes worked and many did not, and once bystanders spotted the stars, word spread quickly. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 Police said bystanders jumped in to detain the woman, who has been charged in her killing. — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Three bystanders injured in a firefight in the Home Depot parking lot. — Patricia Murphy, AJC.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Additional video appeared to show bystanders rushing toward the scene to detain the suspect, who was outside the camera's view. — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bystanders
Noun
  • Galena Annual Halloween Parade and Festival Galena, Illinois Thousands of spectators turn out every year for Galena’s parade and festival at the end of October.
    — Michelle Mastro, Midwest Living, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Still, her willingness to enjoy a hostile road crowd offers a useful perspective in a league where interactions with spectators have become such a consuming subject.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Coleman found instructive a 1938 ruling in favor of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who challenged a radio station that placed observers on a rooftop next to Forbes Field and paid them to provide play-by-play for an unauthorized radio broadcast.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Such actions are scaring people away from coming to court, whether as witnesses, defendants or observers, Bonta said, and amount to a blatant abuse of power.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But giving him a national platform without confronting his record does a disservice to viewers and to the people of Illinois.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Asking viewers to contemplate childhood pain while monitoring digestion requires two kinds of attention that Duffield only intermittently brings together.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bystanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bystanders. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster